The Thyroid Gland: Is it Betraying You?

Alan S Weiss MD
Annapolis Integrative Medicine
1616 Forest Drive Suite 3
Annapolis MD 21403
410-266-3613

The thyroid, a small yet indispensable aspect of the body’s hormonal system is a small butterfly shaped gland, normally weighs less than one ounce and is located in the front of the neck.

Thyroid hormone is produced in the thyroid by the addition of iodine to an amino acid called tyrosine. When iodine is deficient in the body during infancy and the thyroid does not develop correctly, it can have devastating effects on the child. The thyroid gland produces primarily thyroxine (T4) which is then converted in the body to tri-iodothyronine (T3), which is really the active aspect of thyroid in the body.

One way of thinking about the thyroid is as being the body’s gas pedal. Every process in the body is dependent on the hormones produced by the thyroid.  

It is VERY common for a person to have multiple, seemingly unrelated health complaints that begin to resolve only once a thyroid condition is diagnosed.

When the thyroid is overactive (hyperthyroidism) and producing too much thyroid hormone, or if the person is taking in too much thyroid, the body’s metabolism speeds up. The heart rate may speed up; the person may experience anxiety, hair loss, weight loss, bowel problems, difficulties with concentration, and multiple other problems. There are various therapies for this, all aimed at reducing the level and effect of thyroid hormone in the body.

In the event that the thyroid is under active, or hypothyroidism, a person will often experience fatigue, intolerance to cold, constipation, hair loss, weight gain and puffiness. They may come to their doctor complaining they just feel lousy; women may complain that their menstrual cycle is disrupted or that they are having problems getting pregnant. Men and women may complain of low libido or weakness.

There are many reasons why the thyroid can become over or under active. The most common are auto-immune problems, where the body literally attacks itself. This is often genetically related and can be common in families. Examples are Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Graves Disease. Other problems that affect the thyroid include viral infections, radiation, and iodine deficiency.

Diagnosing the thyroid problem can at times be difficult. The best way to find a hidden thyroid problem is to check the thyroid stimulating hormone level, free T3 and T4 levels, and thyroid antibodies. IMPORTANT: Make sure your doctor orders all of these tests! I have seen many subtle yet debilitating thyroid conditions missed because not all of these tests are looked at!

Diagnosing thyroid problems is at times the easy part. I have often seen people who still feel lousy with all of the symptoms of low thyroid despite normalized lab tests. This is because the standard accepted therapy (know as Synthroid) using T4 does not work for everyone. There are many people who find their symptoms resolve only when they are treated with a combination of T3 and T4, most commonly known as Armour thyroid, though there are other types. 

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